Snowcatcher's Birthday
by Rainbow169
Summary: It's Snowcatcher's birthday, and Pinkie Pie and Dewdrop Dazzle are planning a surprise party for her! Trouble arises when Cherry Berry and Lyra plot to pull a prank on Snowcatcher at the party, due to a grudge Cherry Berry has held against Snowcatcher. Will the party be ruined, or will the power of friendship and reconciliation save the day?
1. Sour Cherries

Author's Notes

I did not create My Little Pony, I'm just using the characters for a fanfiction story. This story focuses specifically on characters from the toyline, including background ponies from the show who are also part of the toyline in some fashion. As a warning, some of my interpretations of the more popular background ponies from the show may be different from the common fanon interpretations of their personalities and lives. I would rather not simply copy other people's interpretations of background ponies, and would prefer to create my own versions of what they are like based off of how I interpret what is shown in the TV series and show in the backcard descriptions for the ponies who are only in the toys and not on the show itself. This story is set sometime during season 4, so after Twilight has become an alicorn.

Chapter 1: Sour Cherries

It was a busy afternoon at Sugarcube Corner. Not only was there a long line of ponies buying various treats, but Pinkie Pie had her hooves full with taking care of Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake. The two little foals were in an especially mischevious mood that day, and they had managed to sneak out into the kitchen where there were some cakes baking. Pinkie, who had been looking for them in the nursery, suddenly felt her tail twitching as she peeked into the kitchen, a sure sign that something was going to fall very soon. Sure enough, a box of cookie cutters was mysteriously scooting off of the highest shelf, as if it had decided to make a jump all on its own. Pinkie leaped and managed to catch the box as it fell, stumbling a bit and nearly crashing into a rack of cooling cupcakes. She heard a very familiar giggle that told her who the culprit was.

"Pound Cake! Get back here! I'll let you play catch outside if you promise to stop dropping things on everypony's head!" Pinkie pleaded as she saw a small, cream-colored pegasus colt fly off of the shelf where the cookie cutters had been and zoom out of the kitchen, heading into the main area where the customers were. She galloped out of the kitchen and saw Pound Cake swoop down and grab a huge container of cherries that were meant for topping sundaes. She made another leap, but was unable to prevent him from dumping all the cherries on top of an aqua blue unicorn mare who had just entered the shop. Pinkie made another leap and this time caught Pound Cake, who was distracted by giggling at the surprised, cherry-covered unicorn.

"That is enough! I don't mind pouring stuff like flour on myself to entertain you, but that doesn't mean everypony else likes getting all messy! Imagine if that had been Rarity you had dumped those on, she would be so angry at me!" Pinkie scolded.

"I don't mind, I get messy all the time. I wanted to talk to you anyway, Pinkie Pie," the unicorn mare said.

"Dewdrop Dazzle! Let me guess...your sister's birthday? It's a week from now, I know!" Pinkie said, getting excited about the idea of planning a party. Pound Cake started to sneak away, but this time, Mrs. Cake caught him, having seen what he had done.

"How did you...well, I guess that's to be expected from Ponyville's best party planner. I don't know how you remember all the birthdays of everypony in town, though. Yes, I would like you to help plan a surprise party for my younger sister, Snowcatcher," Dewdrop Dazzle answered, lowering her voice to a whisper on the last sentence.

"I will give you my special Pinkie Promise that she will have the best surprise party ever," Pinkie stated, solemnly and quietly at first, but then she let her excitement creep into her voice as she recited, "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

"I knew I could count on you. If we're going to keep this a secret from Snowcatcher, then we need to go someplace secret to discuss the ideas I had," Dewdrop Dazzle said, realizing that several customers kept staring at them, probably because she was covered in cherry juice. She had never planned a surprise party for anypony before, and wasn't quite sure how secretive she would have to be in order to make sure Snowcatcher didn't find out until it was the right time. Pinkie Pie nodded, made a zipping motion with her hoof over her mouth, and bounced very lightly and quietly out the door, waving for Dewdrop Dazzle to follow her lead.

Cherry Berry, who had been waiting in line for a sundae, glared at the ponies who had just left. How dare they let all those delicious cherries go to waste on the floor without even cleaning them up! She had been looking forward to having a cherry or two on her sundae, and now they were all over the dirty floor!

"I'll make them pay for not cleaning that up!" she roared, and she dashed out of Sugarcube Corner in pursuit of Pinkie and Dewdrop Dazzle. Unfortunately, she didn't see them anymore, but she did notice something that could allow her to follow and find them. There was a very distinct trail of cherry juice that had dripped off of Dewdrop Dazzle's fur, and it seemed to be leading into an alley behind a nearby flower shop.

As Cherry Berry had guessed, Pinkie Pie and Dewdrop Dazzle were hiding in that alley, busy discussing ideas for Snowcatcher's birthday party.

"Do you think you could get DJ Pon3 to be in charge of the music? I know Snowcatcher is a big fan of hers," Dewdrop Dazzle requested.

"Of course I can! I was the one who brought her to Princess Cadance's wedding in Canterlot," Pinkie Pie bragged.

"I found you! You better clean up all those cherries and get me a fresh one for my sundae for free!" shouted Cherry Berry as she burst into the alley, startling both Dewdrop and Pinkie, who didn't expect anypony to be following them.

"Ooops! I'm sorry, I just got so excited when I heard Dewdrop Dazzle wanted me to plan a party and I forgot that Pound Cake had left a big mess back at the shop!" Pinkie squeaked, ashamed that it was somewhat her fault that a regular customer of Sugarcube Corner was so angry at her.

"Plan a party, you say?" Cherry Berry said, suddenly smirking, "What if you just let me perform a comedy act for this party? And in return, I might be willing to forgive you and that little pegasus brat you were supposed to be watching." Pinkie was about to agree, being relieved that Cherry Berry didn't seem as angry anymore, but she quickly closed her mouth when she noticed that Dewdrop Dazzle didn't seem as excited by the prospect.

"It's a surprise birthday party for my sister Snowcatcher. Which means you can't do anything in your act that would offend her," Dewdrop Dazzle warned. Cherry Berry's mood soured again upon hearing who the party was for.

"I remember who SHE is. She's the one who booed my joke about the donkey and the mule and said it was 'offensive!' I didn't see any donkeys or mules complaining, so I don't know what HER problem is!" Cherry Berry snapped.

"What if you just didn't do that joke? I could teach you some new jokes that she might like better," Pinkie suggested, hoping to prevent a fight from breaking out.

"If she can't handle my humor, then it's her fault for having no sense of humor," Cherry Berry huffed.

"Excuse me, but my sister does have a sense of humor. It just happens to be different from yours," Dewdrop Dazzle interrupted icily.

"Yeah, imagine if everypony just told the same jokes over and over. BO-RING! It'll make things a lot more fun for you and your audience if you just think up some new jokes that Snowcatcher would like!" Pinkie declared perkily.

"You're one to talk. All YOUR jokes are lame and for little baby foals," Cherry Berry snapped.

"Cherry Berry, you are definitely not going to be performing at my sister's party. Not with that rude attitude. Come on, Pinkie, let's just go to my house and plan there. Snowcatcher's off helping the weather pegasi today so she won't be home until much later tonight," Dewdrop Dazzle said, noticing tears filling Pinkie's big blue eyes upon hearing Cherry Berry's insult to her jokes. She led Pinkie out of the alley; Pinkie followed her almost robotically, completely having lost the usual bounce in her step. Cherry Berry stuck her tongue out at them as she watched them leave.

"Pinkie Pie is going to be sorry she ever let my cherry sundae get ruined. And how DARE she tell me how to do comedy! My jokes aren't the problem, Snowcatcher's just too sensitive," she muttered angrily to herself. She wanted to get revenge, but how? Simply spoiling the surprise and telling Snowcatcher about the party wouldn't be enough. She had to do something that would make Pinkie Pie the laughingstock of Ponyville, and not in the way that Pinkie would want it. But who would be the best pony for her to choose to help her plan her revenge? She then thought of somepony who she knew was good at pranks, at least, and who always supported her efforts to be a comedian, and grinned wickedly before trotting off to find her potential conspirator.

Meanwhile, Dewdrop Dazzle and Pinkie Pie had arrived at the house that Dewdrop Dazzle shared with her sister Snowcatcher, as it was not too far from the alley they had been talking in. Dewdrop Dazzle was rather disturbed at how quiet Pinkie Pie was being. She hadn't spoken at all while they were walking back, all she had done was follow along obediently while tears fell out of her dazed-looking eyes. Even her usually poofy mane had gone limp, although it wasn't as completely straight as it was when she was a filly on the rock farm.

"Pinkie, almost everypony loves your parties, and your jokes aren't boring at all. Cherry Berry doesn't know what she's talking about," Dewdrop Dazzle said, hoping to get a positive reaction from the usually hyperactive party pony. Pinkie did seem to perk up a bit upon hearing this reassurance, and she wiped her tears with her hoof.

"She's never been that...that mean to me before. I always thought Cherry Berry LIKED my parties and my comedy acts," Pinkie Pie sniffled.

"Maybe she was just having a bad day. I don't know her that well, but from what she said at first, I think she's just angry because of all the cherries Pound Cake dumped on me, since she said she wanted a free cherry sundae when she found us. Maybe she'll stop being angry at you if you promise her she can have a free sundae next time she comes to Sugarcube Corner," Dewdrop Dazzle suggested.

"Yeah, you're right! I completely forgot about that! And you still have cherry juice all over your mane!" Pinkie exclaimed, now suddenly reverting to her usual demeanor, "I'M the only other pony I know who doesn't mind being covered in food, because hey, it's food, I can just lick it off myself!"

"Like I said, I don't care much about getting messy. It's not like I was planning on going to the Grand Galloping Gala or anything. I'll just take a shower later," Dewdrop Dazzle shrugged.

"Okay then, let's make some plans for your sister's party before she comes home!" Pinkie declared cheerfully.


	2. Planning and Plotting

Chapter 2: Planning and Plotting

While Pinkie Pie and Dewdrop Dazzle made party plans, Cherry Berry went off to find the pony who she thought could help her get revenge on those who had angered her. She found the home of the pony she was lookiing for, and knocked on the door.

"Hello, Lyra? It's me, Cherry Berry. I have something I think you would like to help me with," Cherry Berry called. The door opened, revealing a sea-green unicorn with golden eyes, by the name of Lyra Heartstrings.

"Hi, Cherry Berry! Come on in! I bet whatever it is YOU would want me to do, it's sure to be fun! Do you want to try out a new joke routine on me?" Lyra asked eagerly, leading Cherry Berry into her house.

"Not exactly, but it's related to that. I want you to help me get revenge on Pinkie Pie," Cherry Berry stated bluntly. Lyra's enthusiasm faded upon hearing that.

"Why? I mean, I don't mind just playing a prank on her, since she likes pranks, but getting revenge? What did Pinkie do to you that makes her deserve revenge?" Lyra wondered, finding it hard to imagine Pinkie Pie having done anything that bad, particularly to a fellow comedian pony like Cherry Berry.

"She allowed cherries to be dumped all over the floor by that bratty little Pound Cake and didn't clean them up and that means she owes me a free cherry sundae! Plus she insulted my comedy act! She said it was boring!" Cherry Berry ranted.

"Wow, I've never heard Pinkie call your jokes boring before, she usually laughs at most of them when you perform and she's in the audience. That really doesn't sound like the Pinkie Pie I know. And I'm sure she'll let you get a free sundae, Pinkie loves sweets more than anypony I know so she'd understand," Lyra said, uncertain as to how Pinkie's actions merited getting revenge.

"I guess I can forgive her if she gives me a free sundae with extra cherries on top. Snowcatcher is the one who deserves to be humilated like she did to me!" Cherry Berry declared. Lyra shrugged, and nodded understandingly.

"I don't really know her that well, but if she did something really bad to you, then I will definitely help you play a prank on her," Lyra agreed.

"Her birthday is coming soon, and her sister is planning a party with Pinkie Pie. And of course Dewdrop took Snowcatcher's side and refused to let me entertain at the party, so I want to sabotage it," Cherry Berry growled.

"Is it a surprise party? It'd be pretty easy to mess with them if you just went and told Snowcatcher, so it wouldn't be a surprise anymore," Lyra suggested.

"No, that's too easy, and not humilating enough. It's better if we keep it a secret, but make a plan to play a prank on Snowcatcher that will teach her not to ever insult me again!" Cherry Berry declared, ending her rant with a stamp of her hoof.

"Okay! I love playing pranks, so count me in!" Lyra cheered. Cherry Berry grinned maliciously, but then her expression darkened as she became angry, thinking about the day that made her decide she hated Snowcatcher. She had been putting on an informal comedy show near the big fountain in Ponyville, and a crowd had gathered to watch her. She had performed a few jokes that most ponies seemed to be laughing at, ones she had told before, and then she decided to try out a new funny story she had read in an old joke book that had gotten a good reception from her friends Lyra and Bon Bon.

"A donkey and a mule are stuck on a desert island. And so the donkey says to the mule, 'Why don't we build a boat to get off this island?' And the mule says..."

"BOOO! No bigoted jokes!" shouted a blue unicorn with a magenta mane, causing Cherry Berry to stop her story and glare at the heckler.

"And what's YOUR problem?! Just shut up and listen when somepony is performing!" Cherry Berry retorted, indignant at her act being interrupted.

"You were about to tell a joke that is VERY offensive to donkeys! And I, Snowcatcher, will not stand for that!" the blue unicorn ranted.

"Who cares? There's no dumb donkeys in the audience here. It's just us ponies here, so we can all agree that MOST donkeys are stubborn idiots, am I right?" Cherry Berry smirked, looking to the other ponies in the audience for support. One or two looked as if they might agree with her, but the rest of them began to murmur in a manner that did not sound like they were pleased with Cherry Berry's bianket statement about an entire species.

"That's not true! Matilda was very polite and friendly when she bought some flowers from me the other day!" protested a pink pony with a curly green mane named Daisy.

"Yeah, that's like assuming that everypony from Manehatten is a rude snob! My friend Plumsweet is from there and she's super nice!" blurted out Feathermay, a magenta pegasus with a multi-colored mane that looked like the sunrise.

"Fine, I get it, the show's over! No thanks to you, Snowcatcher. I'll remember YOU," Cherry Berry snapped, and she ran away in a huff, leaving the small crowd to disperse.

"Hello? Equestria to Cherry Berry! I thought we were going to think of a funny prank to play!" Lyra called, snapping Cherry Berry's attention back to the present.

"Yeah, sorry. I just was remembering something. And I think I have a way to humiliate that self-righteous little donkey lover," Cherry Berry said with a malicious smirk. The two of them began to discuss ideas, plotting ways to make it be a party that Snowcatcher would "never forget."

The next morning, Cherry Berry headed off to Sugarcube Corner, seemingly in good spirits again. Pinkie greeted her at the door, holding out a large chocolate sundae that was dotted with lots of maraschino cherries.

"Please take this as a peace offering! I'm so, so, SOOOO sorry I let Pound Cake ruin your chance to get a cherry sundae yesterday, so here's one I made for you for free with EXTRA EXTRA cherries!" Pinkie exclaimed, her desire to make amends very obvious in both her words and actions.

"Well, thank you! And I'm sorry I called your jokes lame. Even if I want to be a comedian too, you're still Ponyville's number one party pony," Cherry Berry responded, deciding that Pinkie would be off the hook for now. She usually DID enjoy Pinkie's comedy routines, even if she felt that at least a few of Pinkie's jokes were more suited for foals than adult ponies.

"Thank you! I liked that joke I heard you telling Lyra last week about the funny cake that said "Happy Birthday With Sprinkles" on it! I love it when cakes have sprinkles on them, and that reminds me of a cake I once baked where I did something silly like that too! It was when I was first starting out at Sugarcube Corner, and Mr. Cake let me do the decorating on a birthday cake for Derpy. I heard she liked bubbles, so..." Cherry Berry rolled her eyes, half-exasperated and half-amused at the way Pinkie could so easily go off on a tangent. She began eating her ice cream sundae, still somewhat listening to Pinkie talk.

"And there were bubbles with icing stuck to them all over the place! So that was how I learned that soap bubbles do NOT mix with cake! You have to just draw PICTURES of bubbles, not use real ones!" Pinkie finished triumphantly.

"I thought that was obvious. Even YOU wouldn't eat soap," Cherry Berry said in a deadpan tone. "Thank you for the free sundae, though."

"Okie dokie lokie! I got to go back in and help bake cookies, so bye!" Pinkie called, and she bounced back into the shop, leaving Cherry Berry alone with her half-finished sundae. Cherry Berry ate a bit more of the sundae, and then realized something very important. How was she going to pull off a prank on Snowcatcher at the party if she didn't even know the location or time of the party?! She raced back into Sugarcube Corner, hoping to find Pinkie and ask her.

"Wait! Pinkie!" she called, seeing Pinkie about to go into the kitchen area.

"What is it? Did you eat your sundae already so you want another one?" Pinkie asked cheerfully, turning back around to look at Cherry Berry from behind the counter.

"I wanted to know when Snowcatcher's party is going to be," Cherry Berry said, and then she began to put on her acting ability, giving Pinkie a look that she hoped would appear remorseful, even if she did not feel that way inside. "I really would like to attend her party, even if she doesn't want me to perform a comedy act. I want to apologize to her for offending her, and to see if I could become her friend."

"Aww, sure! I didn't make the invitations yet, but once I do, I can give one to you. You can even be a surprise guest if you want, and I could help you think of a fun way to do a dramatic entrance. Maybe you could bring that hot air balloon of yours to the party and give Snowcatcher a free ride on it as a present, and then you could tell her about how you want to be friends if you don't want to apologize in front of everypony else," Pinkie suggested eagerly, excited at the prospect of helping other ponies learn how to become friends.

"Thank you, Pinkie. I really appreciate it. I just hope Snowcatcher can forgive me. I really should not have insulted donkeys like that," Cherry Berry lied, still appearing to be the picture of repentance.

"I'm sure she'll forgive you. I mean, I would, at least. I always love your balloon rides, so I can't see how she would say no to THAT! I have to go check on the cookies, so I'll talk to you later! Remember to keep the party a secret from the birthday filly, it's okay to talk about it NOW because there's no other customers here, but I gave Dewdrop Dazzle a Pinkie Promise that I would give Snowcatcher a SURPRISE party, and you NEVER break a Pinkie Promise. Bye!" Pinkie called, giving Cherry Berry a wave as she bounced through the kitchen door.


	3. The Party

Chapter 3: The Party

Cherry Berry grinned to herself, glad that Pinkie fell for her lie about wanting to be Snowcatcher's friend. She went back outside and then screamed in horror.

"LYRA! How dare you eat my sundae!" she raged, seeing Lyra sitting out on the sidewalk, eating the rest of the sundae Cherry Berry had left in her haste to speak with Pinkie Pie.

"Oh, this was yours? I just assumed Pinkie left it out as a free sample," Lyra said innocently, "Why would you leave your sundae out on the sidewalk if you didn't want me to eat it?"

"Because I expected to come back to it when I was done talking to Pinkie Pie!" Cherry Berry exploded.

"Why wouldn't you just finish it and then go talk to Pinkie?" Lyra asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Don't change the subject on me! I won't answer any more of your questions until you apologize for STEALING my sundae!" Cherry Berry shouted, coming closer to Lyra with a menacing look in her magenta eyes.

"I'm sorry, okay?! I really really didn't think that it belonged to anypony who wanted it back!" Lyra pleaded, now realizing how angry Cherry Berry was with her.

"As long as you understand that this is now the second time my chance to enjoy a cherry sundae has been ruined," Cherry Berry said sternly, although she did soften a bit now that Lyra had apologized.

"Why didn't you just finish it first and then go talk to Pinkie, if it's that important to you?" Lyra wondered, still confused by Cherry Berry's actions. Cherry Berry sighed, realizing that she probably shouldn't have panicked when she realized that she didn't know when or where the party would be, considering that it sounded like Pinkie and Dewdrop Dazzle had just started planning for it yesterday.

"I just realized that I didn't know when or where the party would be, and I kind of panicked because I didn't want to plan out an elaborate prank but then miss out on actually getting to play it if I missed the party. Which was stupid of me, because Pinkie didn't even have an exact time set yet," Cherry Berry admitted sheepishly, but then she smirked. "I did manage to trick her into thinking that I actually want to be friends with Snowcatcher, so I got her to put me on the list of invited ponies."

"Great! So I can come with you and help with the prank even if she doesn't invite me, right?" Lyra asked eagerly.

"I could just leave you out as a punishment for eating my ice cream, but I won't do that," Cherry Berry said, still smirking, "I know you're a good prankster, and that I'm sure you've learned your lesson about eating food that isn't yours."

"Yeah, I won't do that again. You really wouldn't want to do the prank without the stuff I bought last night. That's why I was coming here to meet up with you, to show you what I got," Lyra said. Cherry Berry now realized that Lyra had some bags she was carrying with her, which had gone unnoticed in her anger over the loss of her ice cream sundae. Lyra took out a few tubs of whipped cream, along with a big can of maraschino cherries.

"Great! With those things, I will be all set. You know what your part is going to be in this, right?" Cherry Berry asked.

"Of course! This will be fun!" Lyra agreed with a malicious grin. She put her assortment of items back in her bags, and the two of them went off to plan some more.

A few days later, it was time for the party. It was to be held at Sugarcube Corner, and to make sure that Snowcatcher wouldn't randomly happen to come while things were being set up, Dewdrop Dazzle had taken Snowcatcher out to Carousel Boutique while Pinkie Pie and most of the other ponies who had been invited to the party set things up. The two sisters left the boutique, and Snowcatcher was wearing an elegant dress that Rarity had designed for her. It was a shimmering ice blue, with silver and pink snowflakes made of sparkling thread dotting it.

"You know, I usually think that Rarity is kind of vain and frivolous, but she does have a very good sense for what fashions fit individual ponies. She made this dress exactly the way I would want a party dress to be!" Snowcatcher said happily as they walked down the road, heading back to their house.

"I'm glad you like it! I'm not that interested in fashion either, but I thought that since it's your birthday, you might like to have a party dress," Dewdrop Dazzle said, unable to hide a smirk at the fact that Snowcatcher still didn't know what specific party the dress was for.

"Why did you tell me to keep it on now, though? The next time there might be a fancy party I can think of is Hearts and Hooves Day, and that isn't for another week, which means…" Snowcatcher stopped, realizing something. Dewdrop Dazzle became silent and very nervous. If Snowcatcher were to figure things out on her own, would Pinkie Pie be angry about the surprise being spoiled? Or, did it really count as breaking the Pinkie Promise since Dewdrop Dazzle hadn't actually told her sister about the party, just told her she might like to wear her new dress tonight rather than hiding it in a closet where no one would be able to admire it until Hearts and Hooves Day.

"Um…don't you think Luna's night sky is beautiful this evening? Don't the stars look like snowflakes hanging in the sky?" Dewdrop Dazzle blurted out, trying to change the subject quickly.

"Yes, that's true, but…it's my birthday, isn't it? And this isn't the way home, you've been walking towards Sugarcube Corner, and Pinkie Pie often has parties there," Snowcatcher reasoned.

"Maybe you're not the only pony who has a birthday today! Or maybe I just want to get some treats for you there!" Dewdrop Dazzle squeaked nervously.

"Let me guess. You and Pinkie are planning a surprise party, and she made you Pinkie Promise not to tell me. Even if my guess is correct, you didn't break your promise. She just probably didn't count on me figuring things out on my own, even without you telling me anything directly. Let's just go to Sugarcube Corner, and if Pinkie at all thinks you broke the promise, I'll tell her that I guessed it on my own, since I do know when my own birthday is," Snowcatcher said, and then she smiled excitedly. "If you and Pinkie did set up a party for me, then I don't want to be late! Let's get going!" Dewdrop Dazzle shrugged to herself and then followed her sister to Sugarcube Corner, remembering that Snowcatcher usually didn't like surprises that much anyway, and it would be silly to assume that she would forget her own birthday. Snowcatcher opened the door, and there came a loud shout from inside the sweet shop.

"SURPRISE!" shouted the voices of several ponies, the loudest of which was Pinkie Pie, who met Snowcatcher right at the door and shot confetti at her using the party cannon. Snowcatcher stumbled backwards, startled by the party cannon.

"Were you surprised? Huh, huh, huh?" Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing right up to Snowcatcher's face.

"Yeah, I was. I didn't expect the party cannon!" Snowcatcher exclaimed, laughing. Pinkie suddenly became very serious.

"Wait a minute. You didn't expect the party CANNON, but what about the party? Somepony didn't break a Pinkie Promise and TELL you, did they?" Pinkie demanded, giving a hard stare to Dewdrop Dazzle, who was standing behind Snowcatcher nervously.

"It's okay. I guessed it on my own, since it IS my birthday and this place often holds parties. What, did you think I would be stupid enough to forget my own birthday?" Snowcatcher said with a smirk, not intimdated by Pinkie in the least.

"Okay, then, if no pony broke a Pinkie Promise, then let's PARTY!" Pinkie shrieked happily, returning to her "perky party pony" mode almost instantly.

As Pinkie led Snowcatcher and Dewdrop Dazzle into the room and showed them where the refreshments and games were, Cherry Berry watched them from a secluded corner of the room. Once Snowcatcher got close enough and was in a position where other ponies wouldn't get caught in the crossfire, it would be time. Time for Cherry Berry to pull off the plan she had thought of, using what Pound Cake did to Dewdrop Dazzle as inspiration. She had hidden bags of cherries and a tub of whipped cream in her dress, which was poofy enough to hide any suspicious bulges. When the time was right, she would throw the cherries and whipped cream at Snowcatcher, Lyra aiding with her unicorn telekinesis. She crept closer to Snowcatcher, who was talking to Pinkie Pie, and hid behind the towering, blue frosted birthday cake so that they wouldn't see her. However, that did not prevent their words from reaching Cherry Berry's ears, and she distinctly heard her name mentioned.

"You know, it's too bad I don't see Cherry Berry anywhere. I thought I saw her come in," Pinkie said, her voice showing her disappointment. "She really wanted to apologize to you for offending you with that donkey joke and wanted to become your friend. I think she wanted to help find some jokes that you would like."

"I do like some of her jokes. If she thinks I hate everything she performs just because of that one offensive joke, then she's being silly. Plus, I always love her balloon rides. It's so cool to be able to go up to the clouds where the snowflakes come from!" Snowcatcher gushed happily. Cherry Berry stopped, beginning to have second thoughts about her prank. Snowcatcher didn't hate all of her jokes, liked at least some of them, and enjoyed her balloon rides?! She realized that she had been so consumed by her own foolish grudge over one poorly received joke that she had assumed that her hatred of Snowcatcher was mutual, when it in fact was not. And it wasn't like Snowcatcher had been the only pony who objected to that joke, so it wasn't fair to single her out for hatred just because she had been the first to speak up. Cherry Berry stepped out of her hiding spot, tears of remorse filling her eyes.

"Can you forgive me, Snowcatcher? I'm sorry…I've been so stupid and held a grudge against you that I shouldn't have," Cherry Berry said. This time, her apology was sincere.


	4. Forgiveness

Chapter 4: Forgiveness

"Yeah, of course I forgive you. It's not like you ever did anything to me, since I didn't even know you HAD a grudge until you said so right now," Snowcatcher shrugged. Before Cherry Berry could respond, she felt something poking her in the side.

"Psst…she's right there! What are you waiting for? Let's throw the cherries at her!" Lyra hissed, trying to be quiet but failing to conceal her words from Snowcatcher and Pinkie Pie, who both stared at her.

"No, Lyra. I don't want to do the prank anymore," Cherry Berry said.

"Do what prank? Who did you want to throw cherries at? If it's somepony who doesn't mind being messy it might be fun!" Pinkie Pie giggled.

"Pinkie, I don't want ponies throwing cherries at my party!" Snowcatcher exclaimed in annoyance.

"Cherry Berry was going to throw them at you as a prank but now she doesn't want to do it anymore!" Lyra blurted out, then she quickly put a hoof over her mouth when she saw both Cherry Berry and Snowcatcher glaring at her.

"I said I'm not doing the prank anymore! I realized that I shouldn't have hated Snowcatcher just because she didn't like the donkey joke, and I apologized to her," Cherry Berry clarified.

"Aww, then who are we going to throw the cherries and whipped cream at now?" Lyra whined.

"Oooh, throw them at me! I'll try to catch them in my mouth!" Pinkie squealed eagerly.

"I just said I didn't want any food fights at my party! Pinkie, if that's something you planned with Dewdrop, then I'm going to talk to her about it and ask her why she thought that would be a good idea!" Snowcatcher ranted.

"Look, I can just put them with the other refreshments. It can be my present for your party," Cherry Berry said, and she took the containers out of the pockets in her dress and put them on the refreshments table.

"Aww, I got all excited for a prank," Lyra pouted, but then she perked up again when she heard her name being called.

"Lyra! Come play the snowflake matching game with me!" Lyra looked across the room and saw Derpy waving at her, hovering near a gameboard.

"I'll play with you, Derpy! Maybe you and I can do a prank together!" Lyra responded excitedly, and she charged off to go play, leaving Cherry Berry relieved that she wasn't going to get them in trouble.

"What was so bad about that donkey joke, anyway? You didn't even let me finish it before you interrupted me that one time and called me a bigot. How would you even know how it ends?" Cherry Berry asked.

"Because it's not a new joke, it's an old, outdated one that you probably got from an old joke book. It might be new for your routine, but it's one I've heard told before, mainly by ponies who don't actually know any real donkeys or mules," Snowcatcher explained.

"So? But what's so bad about the joke? It's not like it's a story about a real donkey and mule who got stuck on a desert island and never escaped because they were too stubborn to agree on how to build a boat. It's just fiction," Cherry Berry said.

"It's offensive because of the way it affects how ponies view real donkeys and mules as being stubborn to the point of stupidity. And you can't tell me there aren't at least some ponies who think that all donkeys are like that!" Snowcatcher declared with a stomp of her hoof.

"But there weren't any donkeys in the crowd when I told that joke! And there's that phrase 'stubborn as a donkey,' so it's got to have some truth behind it," Cherry Berry whined.

"So? How would you like it if I told jokes with my sister that implied that all Earth ponies are as ridiculous as Chancellor Puddinghead? She was a real figure from history, so one could say that generalization has truth behind it," Snowcatcher countered, throwing Cherry Berry's logic back at her. When it was put that way, Cherry Berry could start to understand how having one's species or race reduced to a few negative traits would be offensive, but her train of thought was derailed when a puffy magenta tail popped up in her face.

"Hey! Don't insult Chancellor Puddinghead! She wasn't ridiculous, she was just creative and fun!" Pinkie Pie butted in and jumping right between the two ponies, defending the historical character she had portrayed once in a Hearth's Warming Eve play.

"I don't know, YOU made her seem pretty ridiculous when you played her, but in a good way. Your parts in that play were my favorite because she was so funny," Cherry Berry said.

"Thank you! For the compliment AND the cherries!" Pinkie said cheerfully, and she bounced over to the food table and took a huge slice of cake, dumped a bunch of cherries on it, and sprayed the whole mixture with lots of whipped cream. While Pinkie began eating her dessert in a very messy manner, Cherry Berry faced Snowcatcher again.

"I think I sort of understand now. I wouldn't want somepony to think I'm stupid and silly just because I'm an Earth pony, and donkeys don't like being called stubborn just for being donkeys. Is that what you were trying to say? Or do you really think that all Earth ponies should be judged off of Chancellor Puddinghead, even though that same story has the intelligent and heroic Smart Cookie?" she asked.

"Yes, that's exactly it. Earth ponies don't like being called stupid because of one historical figure, and donkeys and mules don't like being called stubborn because of that old insulting simile. And, no, of course I don't think all Earth ponies are like Chancellor Puddinghead. All types of ponies, whether they're Earth ponies, unicorns or pegasi, have a full, wide range of personalities and intelligence levels, and the same goes for donkeys and mules. I'm sure you're smart enough to come up with ways to tell jokes that don't make insulting generalizations like that, because I know you have done so before. And thanks for bringing the cherries and whipped cream to my party! It looks like Pinkie isn't the only pony who likes them," Snowcatcher said. Indeed, almost all the cherries and whipped cream were gone, because several ponies had added them as cake and ice cream toppings.

"Oh, right! I should get some cherries myself to put on some ice cream! Then I can have the cherry sundae I wanted!" Cherry Berry realized, and she went off to do exactly that. She sat at a table, eating the sundae she finally got to enjoy without interruption, and noticed that from watching the other ponies at the party, she was getting some great ideas for jokes. When she was almost done with her sundae, Lyra came over to her.

"Pinkie Pie told me they're setting up a piñata. Do you want to come try to hit it with me? It's gonna have prizes and treats for everypony in it!" Lyra exclaimed eagerly.

"Sure, when I'm done with my sundae. Considering YOU ate the last one I was going to have," Cherry Berry said with a smirk.

"I get it, you're not going to let me forget that, are you?" Lyra replied with a bit of a sigh, "I honestly didn't know it was yours at the time, but I guess I shouldn't eat food that's sitting on the sidewalk anyway."

"It's okay, I probably shouldn't have left it there in the first place," Cherry Berry said, and she finished the last of her sundae. "If Pinkie's got the piñata set up, I'd like to give it a whack."

"All right! I wanna see what kinds of stuff she put in it! Pinkie's piñatas always have the most surprising surprises!" Lyra exclaimed. The two mares went over to where the piñata had been set up, and the game began.

Later that evening, the party ended, and ponies began to leave for their own homes. As Cherry Berry was about to leave, Snowcatcher stopped her.

"Thank you for bringing the cherries and whipped cream. They were really popular with the guests, and went well with the cake Pinkie picked out," Snowcatcher said.

"Yeah, I'm glad I was able to put them on my sundae rather than throwing them at you," Cherry Berry agreed.

"Next time you put on a comedy show, I'd like to come see it," Snowcatcher said.

"Sure! Don't worry, I won't tell any donkey jokes next time. I have to confess, I did that partially because I was annoyed at Cranky Doodle Donkey that time, and it made me angry at donkeys in general. But you're right, even if I don't like him much, not all donkeys are like him, and there's probably some who love comedy, too!" Cherry Berry admitted.

"I'll look forward to it! Goodbye, Cherry Berry!" Snowcatcher called, and Cherry Berry waved back as she left the party, in better spirits than she had been for the past few days, the emotional burden of holding a grudge having lifted from her mind.

After the party and the party cleanup was over, Pinkie Pie opened up the Friendship Journal and began to write in it.

"Dear Diary, Cherry Berry learned some really good lessons about friendship today. First, she learned that holding a grudge can make you miss out on a really good friendship, especially when you find out that pony actually liked you all along! Also, she learned that when you're trying to make other ponies laugh, it's not a good idea to tell jokes that make them sad or angry. It's no fun to tell jokes that make the audience upset, so you have to tell jokes that everyone can find funny, including those that aren't ponies, such as donkeys and mules, like my good friend Cranky Doodle Donkey and Mulia Mild, the amazing chocolatier! Your friend, Pinkie Pie!"

"P.S. Chancellor Puddinghead rules!"


End file.
